Light rail

Light rail transit (LRT) is a form of passenger urban rail transit characterized by a combination of tram and metro features. While its rolling stock is more similar to a traditional tram, it operates at a higher capacity and speed, and often on an exclusive right-of-way. In many cities, light rail transit systems more closely resemble, and are therefore indistinguishable from, traditional underground or at-grade subways and heavy-rail metros.

There is no standard definition, but in the United States (where the terminology was devised in the 1970s from the engineering term light railway), light rail operates primarily along exclusive rights-of-way and uses either individual tramcars or multiple units coupled to form a train that is lower capacity and lower speed than a long heavy-rail passenger train or metro system.

Charlotte
The city of Charlotte rebuilt the two remaining tram lines in operation into light rail in 1988. Today, there are four routes—routes 20, 30, 60 and 75. Routes 20 and 60 are operated using C5000 high-floor vehicles based on the K5000 used in Cologne Stadtbahn. Route 30 is catenary-free and is operated with Alstom Citadis trams. Route 75 is a tram-train line, operated with Alstom Citadis-Dualis vehicles. When sections of one of these lines are not operating due to maintenance, buses subsitute trams.